Huntsville teams unite to support cancer survivor

Wednesday

Jul 2, 2014 at 4:30 PM

Chuck Embree

Players and supporters of the Huntsville Pirates and Huntsville Hive age 14U baseball team were united prior to their National Division game of the Moberly Midget League played at Moberly’s Howard Hils Athletic Complex.Hive players, coaches and fans alike put away their traditional team colors and wore a specially engraved pink-colored t-shirt while the Pirates clan wore pink-colored wristbands. Teams met on the field at home plate before the first pitch was made.“This “Pink Out Game” was planned tonight since both of our Huntsville teams were playing against one another. We have a boy on our team, Alec Botkins, whose mother (Andrea) is battling breast cancer and has been through a whole lot as she fights this thing,” said Huntsville Hive assistant coach Frank Miller. “Most all of our community in Huntsville knows her and the family. We got together and wanted to show our love and support to her as she goes through treatments and such as well as so many other people who are fighting cancer in one form or another right now. We want to say we’re all in this together, we support you and we hope this shows a little token about how much we all care.”Mrs. Botkins was escorted to the field by her husband Chris and was joined by sons Alec and Ely, who graduated from Westran H.S. last May. On behalf of both teams, coach Miller presented her with a special plaque with an engraved message donated by Championship Sports. Miller said the Moberly downtown retailer has been a longtime supporter of summer youth ball programs and helped defray expenses of the t-shirts and wristbands as well.Nearly two hours after this ceremony took place, the Hive trailed their friendly neighbors by two runs, and would have the bases loaded with two outs before Pirates second baseman Brennen Chapman easily closed his glove on a gentle pop fly put into place by Mason Untiedt of the Hive. Pitcher Avery Hammond sweated bullets that final frame but found relief when Chapman secured the ball into his glove to record the third out, and the Huntsville Pirates held on to win 5-4.Only two of the Pirates runs were earned last night and the club only collected three base hits, but they made good use of the scoring opportunities that were presented to them.It began as early as their first trip to the plate when Huntsville Pirates sent seven players to the batter’s box and got off to a 2-0 lead without anyone getting a hit.Zane Still led off with a walk, stole second and with one out Chris Evans reached safely on an error that allowed Still to score. Evans stole second and when he stole third a throwing error to the bag allowed Evans to score as well.Another unearned run arrived in the second inning when No. 9 batter Zach Gibson reached on an error and would score on a two-out single up the middle by Hammond.The Hive scored one run in the third frame when Casey Binder singled to center and when the ball was misplayed by the outfielder, and then Binder took second base. Koby Pierce brought Binder home with his groundout to the shortstop and the Huntsville Hive trailed 3-1.Both teams scored in the fifth.The Pirates pushed ahead by four runs when Evans singled with one out and reached third on a pickoff attempt that went sour. McCawley ripped a run scoring double to left and stole third. There were two outs when McCawley perfectly timed a routine throw being made from Hive catcher Corbin Brockleman back to his pitcher Ben Miller. Following a pitch made to Josh Fuemmeler, Brockleman’s throw back to the mound was a slow rainbow-like return and McCawley made a strong dash for the plate scoring easily for a 5-1 Pirates lead.The Hive received a RBI single by Untiedt to score Pierce in the bottom half of the fifth.Pirates pitcher Hammond appeared to be on his way to 1-2-3 quick inning to end the game when he recorded a ground out and a strikeout, but the Hive showed some patience at the plate and had some fight left in them. Binder, Miller and Pierce drew consecutive walks. Binder scored on a throwing error from a pickoff attempt to third base. The bases would reload when Bealmer also walked, but Untiedt’s fly ball did not go deep enough and dropped into Chapman’s glove and the game ended.Both Hammond of the Pirates and Miller of the Hive pitched a complete game.All four runs charged to Hammond were earned. He walked nine batters, gave up five hits and he struck out three.Only two runs charged to Miller were earned. He fanned 10 batters, yielded just three base hits and walked five.